Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan was one of the hottest players of the so-called West Coast cool school despite the fact that he first came to prominence in New York City in the late 1940s as an arranger for Gene Krupa,... more &raquo and in the Miles Davis nonet, where he wrote material for the Birth of the Cool sessions. In the early 1950s, Mulligan moved to California and formed a piano quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker. Mulligan was recorded in 1958 with four different lineups--a quartet with pianist Claude Williamson recording one of the songs written for Birth, "Jeru;" a pianoless quartet with Art Farmer on trumpet; a quintet with Dave Samuels on vibes and Mike Santiago on guitar; and a sextet with Ruby Braff on trumpet, Bud Freeman on tenor, and Billy Taylor on piano. --John Swenson&laquo less

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Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan was one of the hottest players of the so-called West Coast cool school despite the fact that he first came to prominence in New York City in the late 1940s as an arranger for Gene Krupa, and in the Miles Davis nonet, where he wrote material for the Birth of the Cool sessions. In the early 1950s, Mulligan moved to California and formed a piano quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker. Mulligan was recorded in 1958 with four different lineups--a quartet with pianist Claude Williamson recording one of the songs written for Birth, "Jeru;" a pianoless quartet with Art Farmer on trumpet; a quintet with Dave Samuels on vibes and Mike Santiago on guitar; and a sextet with Ruby Braff on trumpet, Bud Freeman on tenor, and Billy Taylor on piano. --John Swenson

Member CD Reviews

Ken D. (Allthatjazz) Reviewed on 10/23/2009...

From All Music Guide:
Though the music on Mulligan is labeled as being recorded in France in 1958 by the baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, it actually consists of three songs by three different groups between 1960 and 1966, plus three cuts from a previously issued LP. Track one is labeled "Jeru," though it is instead a medley of "Roundhouse" and "Out of Nowhere." Backed by pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Buddy Clark, and drummer Mel Lewis, this track is flawed because of the wow in the tape source, though there's nothing wrong with the playing. "Festive Minor" comes from a 1960 concert in Stockholm featuring Mulligan's highly regarded quartet with Art Farmer, Bill Crow, and Dave Bailey. A broadcast of the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival is the source of "Rose Room"; Mulligan mixes it up with an all-star band consisting of cornetist Ruby Braff, pianist Billy Taylor, and tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman, with great results. The last three tracks were lifted from the Chiaroscuro LP Idol Gossip. The incompetent packaging and the mediocre sound of this CD make it one that can be safely bypassed.

CD Reviews

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Raymond E. Wilson | West Des Moines, Iowa United States | 04/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The one tune that stands out on this cd is 'North Atlantic Run' a true jazz classic and from my view the best Mulligan effort ever put on wax.The other cuts are great fare, but NAR is in a class by itself."

Good Mulligan Intro

J H Murphy | Agoura, California USA | 10/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just bought this on a whim at a national book chain as it was on sale. Overall, I'd say it's a decent intro to earlier Gerry Mulligan. Festive Minor and North Atlantic Run were the two cuts I enjoyed most. This is not the very top of Mulligan's form - this CD has a mixed bag of accompaniment, all competent but not consistent regulars with him, I don't think. The Rose Room cut has hints of a Dixieland treatment in places, seemed a little different than the other cuts. Overall I'd classify the pieces as mellow yet up-tempo, which Mulligan carries off fairly well. The recording seemed a little flat to me, but this may vary depending on your system. In a vacuum, I'd rate this three to three and a half stars - the price I paid made it a good buy, hence one more star for value. (It was about in the middle of the prices from the sellers on Amazon.) Overall: good, mellow straight-ahead Fifties jazz."